Swimming device



Junel2, 1951 ,A AXITES 2,556,894

SWIMMING DEVICE Filed Dec. 5; 1946 [liven Z 01? I flnihonyflgtjaFes I fllior-n e ys' Patented June 12, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWIMMING DEVICE Ali thony A. Axiotes, Newport, R. I. Application December 5, 1946, Serial No. 714,191

1 Claim. 1 o

This invention relates to an improved swimming device for attachment to the hands and feet of a swimmer to assist in his propulsion through the water.

One object of the invention is to provide a device which may be applied to the swimmers hands and/or feet without the use of straps, lacings or other attaching means and which will be more efficient in use than other devices employed for a like purpose.

Another object is to provide a device in the form of an attachment for the hands or feet having a web of relatively extended surface for exerting a thrust on the water and propelling the swimmer while capable of being manipulated to feather through the water during the return stroke.

A further object is to provide a device of the type indicated which may be manufactured at low cost while being durable. and efficient in use for the purpose stated.

The following specification describes a preferred form of construction of the improved swimming aid as shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view illustrating a swimmer with a pairof the present improved propulsion devices applied to his hands;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device with the persons hand shown in dotted lines to indicate the '5 method of applying the device thereto;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the center of the device;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 showing the method of fastening a fabric or other covering web to the wire frame of the device; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 2 showing the method of attaching the upper or rearward cross-band of the device to the frame carrying the main propulsion web.

Various types of swimming devices have heretofore been proposed for assisting the swimmers propulsion through the water, but most of these are of complicated construction and require straps, lacings or other means for fastening them to the hands or feet. Certain other prior devices embody hinged joints, springs and other mechanical parts which are subject to corrosion and deterioration. To overcome these defects and deficiences the present invention contemplates an exceedingly simple form of reinforced web-member adapted to be slipped on over the hands and/or feet in the manner of a glove and having means for retaining it in place without straps, lacings or other fastening means.

'Referring to the drawing, the present device comprises in general a relatively light, skeleton framework 2 of substantially fan shape in plan view with its side strips 3 flaring toward the rear and continued in an arcuate or bowed crossmember 4. At the front the frame 2 has a relatively short cross-member 5, thus forming a closed figure with the wire tempered to provide a considerable degree of resiliency. stretched across the open framework? is a strip of fabric or other suitable material forming a relatively fiat web 6 on the under side of the device for pressing against the water by the rearward thrust of the hands. The strip or web 6 may conveniently be of a closely woven, non-porous textile fabric or it may be constructed of plastic, Celluloid, or even thin sheet-metal such as aluminum or the like. The web 6 may be fastened to the framework 2 by folding its marginal edges around the several branches 3, 4 and 5 of the hollow frame 2 and when made of fabric the folded portions I may be stitched to the main strip or web 6 in the manner of a hem, as indicated at 8 in Fig. 4. When the web is constructed either of fabric or other material, such as Celluloid or thin sheet-metal, the turned in overlapping portions may be stapled to the main web 6 or fastened in any other suitable manner.

Stretched across the top of the device is an other strip of fabric or other suitable material I I! of considerable width having its ends fastened at the marginal sides of the frame 2. The strip [0 provides a hand-enclosing band with its ends fastened in place by stitching or otherwise attaching it to the inturned ends of the main web at H, II. Each marginal edge l2 and [3 of the cross-band I ii is turned inwardly and suitably attached to the strip as by stitching to form a hem. The shorter, forward hemmed edge of the strip [3 is left unattached to the main web 6, or to the cross-wire 5 of the frame 2, so that the fingers of the hand, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, may protrude through the space therebetween at this end of the device. As shown more particularly in Fig. 3, the hand may be simply inserted into the device across its rearward curved edge and slid forwardly in under the cross-band In with the fingers protruding slightly at the forward end of the device. It will be observed by reference to Fig. 2 that because of the relatively narrow opening at the forward end of the device the users hand is prevented from projecting clear through the latter. When the device is in use the ends of the fingers of the hand may be bent slightly around the hem of the web 6 which is bound to the forward cross-wire 5, see Fig. 3. The wire in the frame 2 may be of brass or steel enameled, chromium-plated or sheradized to resist corrosion, and of sufiicient resilience to adapt the frame to flex slightly when the hand is inserted under the band I so as to tightly bind the device in place. In this way the device may be securely held on the hand in the maner shown in Fig. 1 to provide a transversely-extending substantially fiat webbed surface for thrusting against the water in propelling the swimmer therethrough. The device may be similarly applied to the feet of the swimmer with the toes projecting slightly through its forward relatively narrow end.

In use, when the device is applied to the hands it may be manipulated in the manner indicated in Fig. 1 by thrusting the arm forwardly to feather the device through the water as shown'at a in Fig.

1; whereafter, the hand is brought down and carried rearwardly to force the web 6 of the device against the water to propel the swimmer forwardly. Then when the arm reaches the rearward end of its stroke the device is turned at right-angles, as shown at b in Fig. 1, so that it may be slid through the water in the manner of feathering the blade of an oar to relieve the back pressure during the forward stroke of the arm.

The device may be used in substantially the same manner by applying it to the feet. When the foot is drawn forwardly it may be canted rearwardly to feather the device through the water and then the foot is held at a sharp angle to the ankle for the back, propulsion stroke of the leg; it being noted, however, that usually only one pair of the device is required for use on the hands as they will function efficiently to apply a stronger pressure on the water during the propulsion strokes of the arms.

The present device is of considerable benefit for use in teaching novices to swim, providing increased pressure for maintaining the body afloat, and imparting confidence to the learner while teaching the proper use of the hands.

The device of the present invention is also capable of being used as life-saving means, it being possible for a person unable to swim to use it to keep afloat for long periods by pressing downwardly against the water with a pair of the devices on the hands or by treading water with the devices applied to the feet.

While the present device is herein shown and described as embodied in a preferred form of construction, it is to be understood that modifications may be made in the shape and arrangement of its parts without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, without limiting myself in this respect, I claim:

A swimming device for attachment to the hand or foot of a swimmer comprising a skeleton metal frame of fan-shaped contour consisting in opposite straight marginal portions of angularlyrelated divergent strips, a relatively short straight strip connecting their converging ends, and an varcuately-shaped longer strip connecting their diverging ends, the distance between the diverging ends of the side strips of the frame constituting the chord of the arcuate strip being at least twice as great as the distance between the converging ends of the side strips of the frame, a covering of substantially water-impervious fabric stretched across said frame and fastened thereto-along all of its marginal portions, and a band of fabric fastened at its opposite ends to the angular side strips of the frame with its longer length extending between'the diverging ends thereof-and its shorter length extending between the converging ends of the side strips in parallel relation to the shorter connecting strip, the opposite longitudinal marginal edge-portions of the band being free from connection with the frame or its covering to adapt the wearers hand to be slid thereunder with the fingers bent around the shorter strip connecting the converging ends of the side strips of the frame.

ANTHONY A. AXIOTES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 216,455 Primbs June 10,1879 1,395,914 Grundmann 'Nov. -1, 1921 1,455,826 Yorgensen May 22, 1923 2,006,915 Ferber July 2, 1935 2,078,068 Eustis Apr. 20, 1937 2,099,973 De Corlieu Nov. 23, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 317,591 Great Britain Aug. 22, 1929 

